Author: Jefferson School City Center

Common Ground Healing Arts is preparing for its Spring Wellness Festival for the weekend of March 22-24.  During the weekend, all sessions will be open to the public on a donation basis. Kate Zuckerman, Executive Director of Common Ground says, “All of our presenters and instructors are donating their time for the weekend, so that the income received from donations can help provide equal access to the healing arts at Common Ground. At the Jefferson School City Center, we want to bring people together across socio-economic lines. Everyone has the right to feel well and whole.” Common Ground regularly offers their programs on a sliding scale.

Common Ground yoga practitioner Santiago Hernandez has been a yoga teacher for four years and loves the space at the Jefferson School City Center. “In this place, we can feel the healing hand touching us from every angle,” he says.

The Spring Wellness Festival will feature seventeen workshops such as “Align for the Springtime: Intro to Alignment-Based Yoga,” “Chanting in the Yoga Tradition,” “Mindfulness Meditation” and “Ecological gardening Practices.” Sessions run from 9 am Friday, March 22, through 5 pm Sunday, March 24. Most of the sessions can accommodate beginners or those new to the healing arts.

Instructor Hernandez appreciates the level of professionalism and willingness of all the teachers to share their expertise.  “These are transformational disciplines that keep us centered,” Hernandez says. “We’re offering this festival because we want people in our community to be involved. We know the healing arts work and we want others to benefit as well,” he says.

Individuals can register in advance to secure a space, but walk-ins will be accommodated as space is available.

Diabetes Alert!

March 26th is National Diabetes Alert Day. Come to the Martha Jefferson Starr Hill Health Center at the Jefferson School City Center for a free blood sugar screening 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on Tuesday, March 26th.  No appointment necessary, and no fasting required.

Writing Workshop at The Women’s Initiative

The Women’s Initiative at the Jefferson School City Center seeks to honor women who have transformed challenge into change by inviting them to tell their stories. They are looking for essays that inspire and demonstrate triumph over adversity.  “Writing is a cathartic exercise for many women,” Outreach Coordinator Eboni Bugg said. “When we give women control over the narrative, they can control the outcome.”

For women who have stories and want to get some guidance on how to put it in writing, The Women’s Initiative is offering a brown-bag writing workshop on Friday, March 29, 12:00 pm-1:00 pm at the Jefferson School City Center. Stories will be collected and published in their collection, Challenge into Change later this year. Essays must be 500 words or less and be submitted by April 30th.  For more information and contest guidelines, contact Lesley Foster at lfoster@comcast.net.

Learning to Cook at the Jefferson School City Center

Piedmont Virginia Community College has begun offering an array of noncredit culinary classes at its new 2,500-square-foot teaching kitchen located in the Jefferson School City Center.  The College offers day and evening classes at the Jefferson School, and is developing a new associate degree program in culinary arts starting in fall 2013 and pending approval.

PVCC students have access to child care at a discounted rate through the Piedmont Family YMCA at its new Intergenerational Learning Center at the Jefferson School City Center. Full-time child care for children of PVCC students and employees is available for children aged six weeks through prekindergarten. PVCC has reserved twenty slots for students.

An hourly Child Watch Program is also available for children of PVCC students and employees at the YMCA at a discounted rate. Child Watch Program hours are Monday-Thursday, 6- 10:15 pm and is available for children 3-11 years old. Child Watch is also open to the public for parents who have activities scheduled downtown in the evening.

Literacy Volunteers New Tutor Training

Literacy Volunteers is offering a new tutor training on March 23, 9:30 am to 4 pm. There is always a waiting list of adult students who need help learning English. New tutor trainings are designed to give volunteers all the skills they need to be great tutors, so no teaching experience is necessary. Volunteers are expected to commit to working with an adult student for two hours a week for a full year. Register for the March 23 training by calling 434-977-3838.

Jefferson School City Center is a voice of the nine nonprofits located at Charlottesville’s intergenerational community center, the restored Jefferson School. We are a legacy preserved . . . a soul reborn . . . in the heart of Cville!

The free drop-in Teen Center at Carver Recreation is a supervised indoor space within the Jefferson School City Center. There are a wide variety of table games and video games available, many of which focus on active movement. A television and internet access are also available.

“We want to keep them active, engaged, and safe,” said Carver Rec manager Dan Carpenter. “This is a great service we can offer to neighborhood residents. The kids have something to do and can hang out with their friends. “It’s a safe and fun place for kids ages eleven and over to play and socialize close to home.”

The Carver Rec teen center is averaging 40 teens on weekdays and 50 on the weekends.

“This is our way of giving back something to city residents. We’ve got this great new renovated space and we don’t want to forget the great programs and services we were offering prior to the renovation.”

The Teen Center is open from 2pm-9pm Monday-Thursday, 2pm-8pm on Friday, and 1pm-6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  For more information, please call (434) 970-3053 or visit www.charlottesville.org/parksandrec.

Pride Overcomes Prejudice at the Jefferson School City Center

In conjunction with the Festival of the Book and in celebration of the publishing of the companion catalog for the exhibition Pride Overcomes Prejudice, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center presents “A Dream of the Future: What Can we Learn From Jefferson School’s Founding Generations in the 21st Century?” Tuesday, March 19, at 6 pm in the Jefferson School Auditorium. Historian and exhibit curator Scott French, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida, will share excerpts from his catalog essay, African American Civic Activism and the Making of Jefferson High School, 1865-1926. He will discuss the living legacies of Jefferson School’s founding generations.

Documenting the African American community’s organized resistance to inequalities in Charlotteville’s dual education system is difficult, given the lack of relevant school board records from the early 20th century. The Pride Overcomes Prejudice book and exhibition contain many first-hand accounts of how African Americans were deeply engaged in the political process that determined access to education. French’s lecture is free and open to the public.

Literacy Volunteers prepares for Immigration Reform

Literacy Volunteers received notice this week that they have been awarded a Department of Education grant for English Language and Civics instruction. The purpose of the grant is to help ESL students become integrated into the Charlottesville and Albemarle community.

“This grant requires Literacy Volunteers to focus on four things with our ESL students: the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, and U.S. history and government,”  said Executive Director Ellen Osborne.  “All of the immigration reform proposals floating around require speaking English as a requirement for attaining permanent residency status, so this grant is particularly timely. We’re gearing up to be prepared for whatever happens with immigration reform.”

Free Health and Wellness Assessments at the Starr Hill Health Center in the Jefferson School City Center

The Martha Jefferson Starr Hill Health Center is focused on improving the health of children and families in the communities surrounding the newly renovated Jefferson School City Center.  As part of Martha Jefferson Hospital’s community benefit work, the Starr Hill Health Center is offering free health and wellness assessments with certified nurse practitioner Miranda Trent.

“We really want to concentrate on getting people healthy. We’re specifically looking at obesity issues because obesity causes so many problems down the road. Many health issues can be prevented when weight is under control,” said Trent. “We want to focus on preventing future problems.” Individuals will receive a private, personal consultation with Trent and a plan for improving their families’ health.

“We thought this population might need access to a service such as this without cost. We will eventually be focusing on addressing childhood obesity, but this is really a family issue,” Trent said. “This service is especially helpful for those who haven’t had a physical in a long time, are worried about their current health, or are ready to help their kids develop healthier habits.”

For an appointment or for more information, call Martha Jefferson Health Connection at (434) 654-7009 or (888) 652-6663.

Jefferson School City Center is a voice of the nine nonprofits located at Charlottesville’s intergenerational community center, the restored Jefferson School. We are a legacy preserved . . . a soul reborn . . . in the heart of Cville!

Neighborhood Engagement Team Changes Leadership

Misty Boos, manager of JABA’s Mary Williams Community Center, has been leading the Engagement Team at the Jefferson School City Center for the past two years but will be leaving her position on March 1 to pursue other dreams. The Neighborhood Engagement Team at the Jefferson School City Center was an opportunity for members of the surrounding neighborhoods to voice their opinions to the nonprofit organizations housed at the Jefferson School. Over the course of the last several years, the team has held meetings between the nonprofit tenants and people from surrounding neighborhoods. An average of ten community members attended each session. Residents of the Star Hill, Rose Hill,10th and Page, Fifeville, and Ridge Street neighborhoods have been able to offer suggestions to the nonprofit leaders about how community needs can be met.

“My favorite part of each meeting was asking the question, ‘Who else should be at this table?’” said Boos. “New invitations were always being sent out and new community members joined the group at each meeting. I loved learning more about Charlottesville’s history. Building relationships with the neighborhoods around the Jefferson School City Center has been a valuable experience. It was an honor to serve as a facilitator for these meetings.”

A new engagement team contact will be announced soon. Now that the tenant organizations have settled in at the Jefferson School, the engagement team is defining what role it will play in the operations at the Center. The nonprofits located at the Center are committed to having a forum for receiving feedback from neighborhood representatives.

Roller Skating at Carver Recreation Center

A long-standing community tradition in Charlottesville has returned. Roller skating is being offered once again at Carver Recreation Center! This event occurs most Fridays from 5pm–8pm and Sundays from 1pm–6pm.  Skates are provided and there is no charge for this activity.  Skaters are also welcome to bring their own skates or rollerblades to the rink at the Jefferson School City Center.

Walk-in Wellness Clinic for Women
The Women’s Initiative has provided a listening ear to over 4000 women in Charlottesville since they opened their doors in 2008. Now the counselors of The Women’s Initiative are available at the Jefferson School City Center. Walk-in hours for a free, one-on-one session with a counselor are Tuesday mornings from 9am-12pm or Wednesday afternoons from 2-5pm. Staff can provide immediate, short-term assistance to those in need of referrals or emotional support.  “We’re offering effective mental health care to women, regardless of their financial means,” said Outreach Coordinator and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Eboni Bugg. “We can help women transform challenging life situations into opportunities for personal growth.” For more information please contact Eboni at 434-202-7692.

Literacy Volunteers New Tutor Training

Literacy Volunteers has seen a threefold increase in requests for services since moving to the Jefferson School City Center on December 1. The high demand for English as a Second Language services prompted LVCA to offer additional new tutor trainings, with the next one scheduled for March 23, 9:30am to 4pm.
Ninety percent of Literacy Volunteer learners are ESL students. They come from a variety of backgrounds but they share the need to acquire the skills to independently pursue their goals, support their families, and participate in Charlottesville activities. Often, these are adults who have so few English skills they are not capable of keeping up in a classroom situation and need the one-to-one attention that Literacy Volunteers can provide.

There is always a waiting list of adult students who need help. New tutor trainings are designed to give volunteers all the skills they need to be great tutors, so no formal teaching experience is necessary. Register for the March 23 training by calling 434-977-3838.

Jefferson School City Center is a voice of the nine nonprofits located at Charlottesville’s intergenerational community center, the restored Jefferson School. We are a legacy preserved . . . a soul reborn . . . in the heart of Cville!